Until My Dying Day
by The Writer0214
Summary: The Rangers are faced with the greatest battle they have ever known, and Tommy and Kimberly must set things straight between the two of them. This is an AU fanfic. The plot or at least, Tommy and Kim's reconcilation was borrowed from my favorite musical
1. When Fates Collide

**Until My Dying Day**

by PRfan4ever

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Power Rangers. Saban and Disney do. If I owned them, I wouldn't be here, sitting, wishing I had a morpher too! Nor do I own the plot of the story, which was inspired by a favorite musical of mine (you'll see)...

**A/N:** This is an AU fanfic. The Rangers reunite to form a last alliance—a final battle between the forces of good and evil. The villains have returned, and plan to steal an important weapon, which they would be able to use to their advantage, and the Rangers must stop them. I threw in a bit of Tommy and Kimberly romance. And because of popular demand for an update on my previous story, I have decided to include Kimberly's alleged relationship to a certain Conner McKnight. Please feel free to R&R!

Conner McKnight sat on a bench, just outside one of Reefside High's many buildings. Kira, Ethan, and Trent walked up to him. This wasn't the usual Conner McKnight. Lately, he hadn't been doing pretty well. There, he sat, a frown painted on his face, and his chin in his hands.

"A D-?" Ethan was the first to break the silence, "Wow! That's a first."

"Yeah, Conner. Is there anything wrong? You seem—I dunno—off, lately. It's the first time Dr. O ever gave you a D-. Wanna tell me about it? You and Krista broke up?" Kira said, as she put an arm around her friend.

Conner sighed without looking up.

"I can't believe it," he said, absently, "They never told me!"

He pounded the cold marble slab with his fist.

"They never told you what?" Ethan asked.

"They never even told me! I'm adopted," he said, with a sigh.

"You are?" Ethan and Kira exchanged puzzled looks.

"I feel your pain, man," Trent said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Conner tried to brush him off.

"Dude," Ethan said, "You should at least be thankful they took care of you."

"That's not the point! They could've told me! All along, I thought I was a true member of the McKnight family! I mean, it would have made a difference if only they told me sooner!"

"You still are a McKnight," Trent put in, "Maybe not by blood, but you still are a McKnight."

"Man, you don't get it," Conner replied, with a defeated sigh, shaking his head.

"I do! I get it. I know how you feel. I'm adopted too, you know? You wonder about your parents, don't you?"

"Parent is more like it," he said, with a smirk.

"Your birthmother was a single parent? Wow. I didn't know that," Kira said.

"Man, it really must be hard on you," Trent said, "I feel your pain, man. It was hard for me, too, at first, but hey, I learned to live with it."

"I wish I could," Conner said.

"We'll be right here, if you need us. Give us a call, man."

"Sure, I will."

"You promise?" Kira said, concerned.

"I _said_ I will!"

"Okay, okay! Chill, man. We'll leave you to yourself, now," Ethan said.

_Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN)_

_Geneva, Switzerland_

"I want a tight security on this thing, alright?" Dr. Billy Cranston barked his orders to the security team at the CERN headquarters. For the last five years, they had been experimenting, and finally, their top-secret project was complete. Antimatter. No one believed it possible. Billy Cranston and his colleagues have debated over its construction, over and over again. Pros and Cons. And so had the government. Now, at last, it was a success. But it was too dangerous. They knew the risks. They knew the danger. And so, they had to keep an eye on it. It was too risky. Antimatter could potentially destroy everything, and everyone who ever walked this Earth. This was the deadliest weapon ever to be created, since the invention of the atomic bomb. Deadlier. More potent. Potential destruction. Total annihilation.

The antimatter was contained in a container similar to that of Zordon's energy tube.

"I'll put the security team on the alert, sir," the head of the team replied.

"Very good. Are all twelve cameras working?"

"Affirmative, Mr. Cranston! All systems are go! It's a tight security, all around."

"Good. Are the lasers working?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Perfect. In case of an emergency, alert me and the whole department, at once, alright?"

"Yes, sir! Understood!"

"Good. If there is an emergency, you know what to do. Initiate DefCon IV, notify all departments at once. Alert me, when the need arises."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you. That will have to do, for the day. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mr. Cranston."

The head of the security team headed out the door, and so did Billy. They put five guards inside the unit, where they were to guard the antimatter, five outside the unit, and five more outside, on each side of the building, just to be sure. This was risky business. Despite all security measures, Billy wasn't sure.

He walked to his quarters with a heavy heart. A foreboding sense of fear. What if something could happen? Is the security team competent enough? Are they up to it? Or are they just a bunch of fools?

_Blame it on Murphy's Law_, Billy thought, with a smirk, as he walked towards his quarters, _Anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong._

He shook his head. He'd rather not think about it, right now.

Billy tossed and turned in bed all night. He couldn't sleep. Was something wrong? What was going on? He got out of bed, turn on his desk lamp, and started writing computations on blank sheets of paper. That always cleared his mind. Calmed him down. He made some random calculations—anything his brilliant mind could produce. He stopped, rubbed his eyes, and pushed back his chair.

_Man, something's wrong! I just know it! Damn!_ he thought, as he paced up and down the room.

He went to his living room, and turned on the T.V. He opened the fridge, and took out a pint of cookie dough ice cream. He knew something was wrong. He felt it coming. He couldn't deny it.


	2. Family

Kira rang the doorbell at the McKnight residence.

"Mr. McKnight, is Conner ready yet? We're supposed to go together," she began?

"I'm sorry, Kira," Conner's dad said, shaking his head, "He left earlier, today. Took his bike. We had another heated argument, this morning."

_Oh, no!_ Kira thought, _Poor Conner!_

"Mr. McKnight, do you know where he is?"

"I—I have no idea. Try the school. He could be anywhere."

"Thanks," Kira said, as she ran from the porch, back to Ethan's car.

"Where's the dumb jock?" Ethan teased. Kira stared at him with a scolding look.

"What! Alright, alright! I'm sorry! It was a joke, okay?"

"Shut up," Kira replied, rolling her eyes, and folding her arms, "He left earlier. Had another fight with his parents. Go! Drive! What are you waiting for? We gotta catch him."

"Right!" Ethan said, as he revved up the engine.

Billy Cranston lay sound asleep, in bed, after taking some Valium. Suddenly, he was awakened by the incessant beeping of an intercom, which sounded distant to his ears. _Is that the alarm clock?_ He thought, sleepily, as he got up. He stumbled, swore, and turned on the light.

_Alright, alright! I'm coming!_ He thought, as he raced over to the intercom machine.

He pressed the button.

"Hendricks? This better be good!" he said, angrily. But he knew it was anything but good. In the background, he could hear the sharp, piercing blare of a siren, and the announcement over the speaker phone that an emergency had occurred.

_DefCon IV! My God! There's no hiding it now_, he thought, as he put his hand to his forehead in dismay.

"Is it the antimatter?" he asked, his voice sounding thick.

"Yes, sir! The Board wants to see you, sir!"

"Alright, I'm on my way."

"Over there! Stop the car! Stop the car!" Kira hollered, as she pointed in the direction of an accident, recognizing Conner's bike. They came to an abrupt halt, as Ethan killed the engine.

"Hey, kid! You can't be here! This is an emergency!" a police officer warned.

"Don't worry, we know him. He's our friend."

"You know his parents?"

"Yeah. We were actually hoping to catch him. He had a fight with his parents."

"Hmph! Teenagers," they heard the officer mutter, as he turned his back to them, and radioed for medical help.

Kira, Ethan, Hayley, and Trent were in the waiting. Mr. and Mrs. McKnight ran up to them.

"What happened to Conner?" Conner's mom said, tearing up, "How is he?"

"What happened to him?" Conner's dad put in, in a frantic tone.

"We uh, we don't know yet. The docs are working on him," Ethan said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"He was running full speed, on his bike, when he met an out-of-control 10-wheeler. He swerved, and the truck did too, and missed him, but unfortunately, he skidded uncontrollably to the side, and his bike tipped over. His head hit the pavement," Kira said.

"Oh, God!" Mrs. McKnight cried, as Mr. McKnight tried to soothe her, rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. McKnight."

"Don't be," she replied, as she covered her mouth, and ran, crying.

Tommy Oliver ran down the hallway, as fast as he could.

"I came, as soon as I heard. What happened?"

And Ethan recounted to him what the police reports have said.

"My God," Tommy muttered. Mr. McKnight paced up and down.

The doors finally swung open, and the surgeon emerged.

"Doc? What is it? How is he?" Mr. McKnight said, looking at the surgeon, expectantly.

"He's losing a lot of blood. We can't save him, unless we find a donor to give him blood."

"What! I—I'm not sure. I'm not a perfect match. I know he's type B, I'm type A. Wait! I know the right person who can give blood."

Mr. McKnight took his phone, flipped it open, walked in the other direction, and dialed.

"Hello? Yes, Ms. Hart."

That caught Tommy's attention.

"Conner's in the hospital. He was in an accident, earlier today. He's losing blood, and we can't find a suitable donor. I was hoping that maybe you could come and donate blood for him."

"Yes, I see that, and I understand your hesitation. It's a risk we all have to take, Ms. Hart. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell him. It might as well be now."

That caught Tommy's attention all the more.

_Tell Conner? Tell him what?_ He thought, puzzled.

"Please, Ms. Hart. For your son's sake. Thank you. Bye," Mr. McKnight said, with a sigh, as he hung up.

_Son? Whose son? And did he just say Ms. Hart? Kimberly is—no! No way! It can't be! She's Conner's birthmother?_

_CERN Headquarters_

"Mr. Cranston," the director began, "You knew the implications of building a thing like this! You knew the risks! And you let it slip through your hands?"

"Sir, I," Billy said, but could go no further.

"Take a look at this footage, Mr. Cranston." The director played the security tapes.

Lo, and behold, the footage showed what looked like putties, Tengas, Goldar, and Rito Revolto, materializing in the chamber.

They had knocked all five guards out cold. And right before Billy's eyes, he saw the most diabolical plan ever conceived, in the history of the universe. They had stolen the antimatter.

"Putties. Rito. Goldar. Tenga. No, it can't be. That's impossible," Billy muttered to himself, as he watched the tape.

"Are you saying something, Mr. Cranston?"

"Sir, I know these guys!"

"Oh, you do? Do you?"

"Affirmative, sir. And I know the right person who just might help."

"I'm giving you one shot at this, Mr. Cranston. But if you fail, this time, you will be relieved of your position as scientific consultant."

"Understood, sir."

"Alright, you may go. You're dismissed, for now."

The blood transfusion was a long process, and it seemed as if it would take an eternity. They took blood from Kimberly enough to fill to bags.

She was weakening. The color was draining from her face, and she grew paler by the minute. But she had to do it. She had to save her son. _Their_ son. Tommy's son. She regretted ever giving him up. It hurt, but what else could she do? By the time she had discovered she was pregnant with Conner, she had already sent Tommy the letter, and she had already pushed him away. She had considered abortion, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. How could she kill someone so innocent? Someone who was formed out of so much love? But Tommy had no way of knowing he was the father.

Jack Hunter wasn't what Kimberly had first thought he was. He wasn't the wonderful, kind, and caring guy she wrote about in her last letter to Tommy. In fact, he was the opposite. When they had started dating, that's when Kimberly saw his true colors. He was abusive. He was a control freak. He wanted Kimberly to abort the baby. After all, what had he to do with the baby? He wasn't the father. That was the last straw. Kimberly broke up with him, and brought Conner Thomas Oliver into the world, a happy, healthy baby.

But she didn't know what to do. She was young. She had no means of raising her son. Where would she get the money? She didn't want to pressure Tommy. He didn't believe her. Conner had to have a home. A family. How could she give him a home? Tommy wasn't there. That's when she decided to give the McKnights an opportunity to raise a child. At that time, they were hoping and praying for one, but to no avail. That's when she realized the McKnights could give him a better life. Something she couldn't give him.


	3. Billy's Call

**Author's Notes:** I know this story has been a long time coming, but my connection was down, and I've been quite busy with school, and whatnot. Anyways, this is an AU fanfic, in case I haven't mentioned it before, so Eric McKnight does not exist in this story. Sorry.

The surgery was finally over, and the doctors had saved Conner's life. But not everything looked good. He was in the ICU. He was in a coma. Kimberly pulled up a chair beside her son's bed. She took his hand in hers, and stroked it.

A teardrop escaped her eyes. Now, at last, she could hold him. The McKnights gave her the kind opportunity to be with her little boy—the son she never knew. Not everything was promising. Conner was in a coma. Then, there was the thought of rejection. No matter how she tried, Kimberly could not deal with the pain of rejection—the thought of her own son rejecting her. She feared it. She had told herself that she would have to live with it, since she gave him away in the first place. She might as well face the consequences.

Once again, she stroked his hand with her thumb.

"Conner," Kimberly said, exhaling, "I don't know if you could hear me. But... I just want to tell you this. I'm sorry. For everything. Forgive me, Conner. At first, I tried to abort you."

She burst into tears.

"Then, I realized I couldn't do it. So, I gave birth to you—_my_ Conner. But I couldn't keep you. What could I do? I had to give you up. I don't know if you would find it in your heart to forgive me. But I hope and pray that someday, you would learn to love me—to call me mom. I know I don't deserve being called mom, by you. But if I could change things, I would've kept you. I know that being young and stupid isn't much of an excuse. It's not even an excuse. I can only hope and pray that you would forgive me and learn to love me, someday. I also wish for your father to forgive me. I loved your father. I still do."

Suddenly, the door creaked open, softly. Kimberly turned in her chair to see who it was.

"Tommy! I didn't—expect—to see you—here." Kim's jaw dropped.

"May I have a word with you?"

"Sure," she said, as she rose.

She bent down, and kissed Conner's forehead.

"Bye, Conner. I love you."

"Have you no decency, Tommy? Marching in on me like that, when I was spending time with my son?" she said, as she closed the door.

"Spending time with your son. Oh, I'm sorry! 'Cause last time I checked, Kim, you gave him up for adoption."

"I'm making up for lost time, Tommy! Goddamn it!" Kimberly shouted.

"Who's the father, Kim? I want to know. You said you're hoping for his father to forgive you—that you loved him, and still do." Tommy said, coldly, crossing his arms.

Kimberly looked at him, with shock in her eyes. She covered her gaping mouth.

"Tommy! Have you really _no_ sense decency? My goodness! Don't you know the word privacy?"

"Alright, so you caught me eavesdropping on you. Fine. Guilty as charged," Tommy said, raising his palms, "But I have to know the truth, Kim! I need to know who Conner's father is!"

"You really wanna know, Tommy? You're Conner's father. Yes, you heard that right. _You are_ Conner's father."

Tommy stared at her with shock. He almost laughed—incredulity written all over his face.

"_Me? I'm_ the father? You're saying _I'm_ Conner's father?"

"Yes, Tommy, Conner is your son! _Our_ son!"

"Oh, yeah? Tell me, how can I be a hundred percent sure that he's my son, when just months after I returned to Angel Grove from Florida, here you are, sending me that letter? You ran off with that Jack Hunter guy! For all I know, he's the one who might've knocked you up!"

Slap! Kimberly's palm landed hard and flat on Tommy's cheek, as she slapped him.

"How dare you jump to conclusions, Tommy? You don't know the whole story!"

"O, yeah? What's the whole story, then?"

Just as Kimberly was about to reply, Tommy's phone chirped.

_Oh, great! Now, what?_

"Dr. Oliver, speaking. Yeah. Oh, hi, Billy! What can I do for you?"

"Listen, man. I need you to do me a favor. I rarely ask favors from anyone."

"Must be something crucial."

"_Very_ crucial, as a matter of fact."

"What is it?"

"So crucial that the fate of the world is at stake, here. The fate of the world is lying in our hands, Tommy."

"Not to be rude, but cut to the chase, Billy. Spit it out already, will you? You're starting to sound like Zordon."

"Alright, maybe I am. Zedd and company are back."

"What? Th—that's impossible! How? Didn't he turn to the side of good when Zordon died? Look at Rita!"

"Well, that was Rita. But apparently, not Zedd. Looks like evil is deeply rooted in his heart—if he has one, that is."

"What's the situation, now?"

"Okay. Remember I told you I was working on a new project?"

"Yeah, the antimatter. What about it?"

"Remember last week's headline? Antimatter project soon to be unveiled?"

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"Check the headlines, now."

Tommy looked at Kimberly with a mixture of surprise and fear. The same could be said of Kimberly. For a moment, they forgot about their heated argument. It seemed petty, now, at a time like this. Tommy motioned for Kimberly to get him a copy of the Reefside Star, which she did, without a moment's hesitation.

On the front page, written in bold letters, the headline read, "Antimatter Project Stolen!"

Tommy read a few lines, and handed the paper over to Kimberly, motioning for her to read it. Shock showed on her face, as she read the article.

"Tommy? You still there, man?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm still here."

"Looks like will be doing Earth another service. I think it's time to answer our call of being Rangers, once again."

"Right, right, I agree."

"Zordon forgive me, but I had to reveal who we were, or the U.N. and the board of directors at CERN wouldn't trust us."

"I'm sure Zordon would understand, Billy. Earth is in need of our assistance, once again. That was the wisest thing to do. I'm sure Zordon applauds your tact, wherever he may be."

"I'll put you in charge of contacting the others, Tommy. By the way, tell me where you are, and a van will transport you to a designated airstrip. At the airstrip, you will see a Learjet in the hangar, waiting for you. Board it, and it will transport you over here."

"Great. I better get ready. Kimberly's right here with me, now, so I guess I'll convey it to her."

"Great! See you," Billy said with a sly smile.

"Wait! Won't you tell us the situation, first? How did it get stolen?"

"We'll get to that. We'll brief you, as soon as you all get here. We'll bring you up to speed on the matter. We'll explain everything, here."

"Alright. See you," Tommy said, snapping his phone shut, and letting out a sigh. He collapsed onto a chair in the waiting room.

Billy smiled, as he put the phone back in the receiver. He leaned back into his chair and smiled some more. He thought that maybe—just maybe—there was still hope for his friend and his big sister. Perhaps there was still a spark of passion—a faint glimmer of hope—left in their hearts. Perhaps they still have room for each other. Maybe there was a hope of reviving the love that they had lost. He could only hope for the best.


	4. Reminiscences

The drive to the airstrip was silent. Neither Tommy nor Kimberly spoke a word. Trent, Kira, and Ethan were all silent, as well. Maybe it was the seriousness of their mission. Operation Apocalypse.

"Sometimes, fear makes you shut your mouth," Ethan said, to break the silence. After a failed attempt to start a conversation, he shrugged, and sighed.

Maybe the reason for Kimberly's silence was that she was thinking things over. Perhaps, Tommy too.

"So, you guys know each other?" Kira said, attempting to break the dead air.

"Yeah, we, uh," Tommy and Kimberly said, simultaneously.

"Go ahead, Tommy. You say it."

"Alright. She's my ex-girlfriend."

"Oh. Not to be nosy, Dr. O, but what happened?"

"Long story."

"Hey, it's a long way to the airport."

"You don't want to hear it," Kimberly said.

"Or you don't want _me_ to hear it?" Tommy interjected.

"Alright, alright! Jeez! Tommy—Dr. Oliver—and I used to be high school sweethearts. I was into gymnastics. One day, a coach discovered my talent, and cultivated it. He wanted me on his gymnastics team. I left for Florida, because his facility was there. Unfortunately, I found 

someone else. I fell in love—or I thought I did—with that someone. And I wrote Tommy, telling him everything in a letter."

"Everything? This is unbelievable," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"Excuse me! If you want to say something, say it to my face! Don't keep it to yourself, for Christ's sake, Tommy!"

"Well, that was a childish way to break-up with someone. Great! A Dear John letter! And you never told me everything, Kimberly!"

"Hell, that was a mistake, Tommy! What do you want me to do?"

"What do I want you to do? What do I want you to do? What I want you to do is to go fuck yourself!"

The argument went on for what seemed to be like years, with Tommy and Kimberly hurling bitter words at each other, each volleying back and forth.

"Guess it was better when it was quiet, huh?" Trent said.

Ethan and Kira nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe they're acting like kids," Kira said.

"Yeah, me too," Trent agreed

"Well, they gotta talk. Let's just let 'em," Ethan joined in.

"Problem is that's not talking. That's a fight."

"Yeah, it is. Told you it was better when it was quiet."

"Well, you know what they say. You don't know what you've got till it's gone."

All three of them shrugged, and resumed their silence, while the former Olympic gymnast and the paleontologist continued their heated argument for the remainder of the trip.

"Nice going, Kira," Ethan teased, nudging her.

"I am not saying anything, so shut the hell up," she said, with clenched teeth, covering her ears with both hands.

Both boys shrugged, and snickered softly.

As Kimberly and Tommy grew tired, and their argument went nowhere, all was silent again in the van. It seemed like it would take an eternity to get to that airstrip. At least that was one thing they both agreed on.

Now that everything was quiet again, Kimberly had time to sort things out. What she would say to Conner, once he woke up, what life would've been like had she only kept him, how it would've been like had she never broken up with Tommy. She looked back on everything from her past. Her schoolgirl crush on Tommy, their first kiss, the dance, their dates, Florida, the letter. And finally, Conner.

_Flashback_

_Florida, 1992_

"_Are you sure you're ready for this? 'Cause there'll be no turning back, now, Kim," Cindy, Kimberly's former roommate said, as she escorted her to the small operating room at the abortion clinic, where the abortion was to take place._

"_Yeah, I'm ready," Kimberly said, with a sob, as she held on tight to Cindy's hand._

"_Hello, Kimberly," Dr. Laura Spencer greeted Kimberly with a fake smile, and sweet voice, "I'm glad you've made your decision."_

"_Yeah. I already have," Kimberly said, with a defeated sigh, her voice tinged with sadness. She tried to hide the tears. She had told her two friends Cindy and Susan that she was ready. But the truth was, she wasn't. She grew attached to the baby growing inside of her. How could she kill someone so small? So innocent? So tiny? Someone who was made with so much love? No, she couldn't live with it. She wouldn't be able to live with the thought that she had killed her own son. Blood of her blood. Heart of her heart. Her own flesh and bones. She couldn't go through with the abortion. She _wouldn't_._

"_Kimberly, did you hear what I said?" Dr. Spencer asked, then, added, "I told you to lie down on the table. I've been telling you twice, now."_

_Reluctantly, Kimberly lay down on the table._

"_Sarah, check for blood pressure, please," Dr. Spencer said._

_Dr. Spencer's assistant Sara proceeded to do so._

"_Now, tie the straps around her wrists."_

_Sarah obeyed, but Kimberly would have none of it. She stiffened her body. She sat up, and wrenched her arms away from the straps._

_She struggled. It was a battle. She resisted. She was crying. Kicking. Screaming. Dr. Spencer took a syringe filled with tranquilizer from the tray._

"_I want to help you, Kimberly. But you have to help yourself too, honey."_

"_Don't you honey me, you bitch!"_

_As she saw Dr. Spencer advance with the needle, she mustered all the strength she could. _

_I may not be the Pink Ranger anymore, but once a Ranger, always a Ranger, right? She edged her way to the end of the operating table, and exerted all her energy, giving Dr. Spencer a strong kick to the gut, hurling her against the wall._

_Dr. Spencer tumbled, hitting her back on the tray full of operating paraphernalia, making it topple over, hurting herself, in the process._

_That's what you get for messing with the former Pink Ranger, you slut, Kimberly thought. She weakly hoped off the table, and hobbled towards the door._

"_Let's go, Cindy. I don't have to be here, anyway."_

"_You okay, girlfriend?" Cindy said, helping her, and rubbing her back._

"_Yeah, I'm fine."_

"_That was a brave thing you did, back there, Kimmie."_

_End of flashback._

Kimberly shook back to reality. She was staring out the window. Tears glimmered in her eyes. Sometimes, she debated with herself whether or not leaving the abortion clinic that day was the right thing to do. Was it all worth it? The pain of giving Conner up for adoption was as strong as the pain she had felt when she was at the clinic, that day. Giving Conner away was as painful as having him aborted. But although it hurt, she said to herself that she had made the right decision.

_Flashback_

_Florida, 1992_

_Kimberly looked into her boyfriend's eyes, as she broke the news to him._

"_I've decided to keep the baby," she said, trying to sound as brave as she could._

"_Say that again?" Jack Hunter said, irritation apparent in his voice._

"_I said, I'm keeping the baby!"_

"_The hell you're not, Kimberly! You will have that _thing_ aborted, like it or not!"_

"_It's _my_ son we're talking about here, Jack!"_

"_Oh, for cryin' out loud, Kimberly! That is just a blob of tissue!"_

_Kimberly's face reddened, and she slapped Jack Hunter._

"_He's _ my son, _Jack! _My son!_"_

"_I wouldn't have a problem if it was my son! But whose son is it? Your ex-boyfriend! Tommy!" he said, as he tightened his hold on Kimberly's wrists._

"_Ow! Let go of me, you son of a bitch!" Kimberly cried, as she slapped Jack, once more._

"_I may be just a son of a bitch, Kimberly, but you—you're a bitch!" he said, spitting in her face._

_Kimberly wiped it off with the back of her hand._

"_How dare you? You don't own me! I am not your property!" Kimberly said, glaring at him._

"_I own you, bitch! And you will not have that baby, you hear me?"_

"_You can't force me, Jack! I'm having this baby, and that's final!"_

"_I will leave you, if you don't abort that thing!"_

"_You know what, that's it! I'm outta here! I want out of this abusive relationship! You're choking me, Jack! If you want to be possessive, go find another whore—not me!"_

"_Are you threatening me? 'Cause empty words don't scare me! You're not going anywhere,_

_Kimberly! You're not breaking up with me!"_

"_Fuck you!" Kimberly said, with nothing but contempt for him in her voice._

_Jack hit Kimberly so hard, she never knew what hit her. She fell to the floor. _

_Minutes later, Cindy and Susan rushed her to the hospital. She almost miscarried. But the doctor said that the baby's hold was so strong—nothing could shake it from its mother's comfortable womb._

_My baby is going to be a Ranger too, someday, Kimberly thought with a sigh, as she stroked her abdomen. She was starting to show now. She loved her son, so much, she was counting down to the day she would bring him out into the world._

_End of flashback._

Once again, Kimberly came back to reality. They were now nearing the airstrip. She had a whole lot more to think about. But she would have to worry about that on the plane ride to Switzerland.

The van came to stop, and all five alighted. The driver got down and carried their stuff for them, while two military escorts brought them to the plane.

It was a strange feeling. They were out to save the world again. Nothing should come in the way of this crucial mission—not even Tommy and Kimberly's past relationship. But both of them argued that they should fix things between them, in case something happened. Tommy needed to know the truth, and Kimberly had to tell him all of it.

As Tommy, Kimberly, Ethan, Kira, and Trent boarded the Learjet, a strange feeling came over the current Black Ranger and former Pink Ranger. For a moment, all their arguments ceased.

"There it is again," Kimberly said to herself, rather than to Tommy.

"What's there again?"

"I can feel it. Don't you? The Crane is calling me. And the Pterodactyl. And the Firebird."

"I hear it too. The Dragon. The Tiger. The Falcon. All calling for me."

"Must be Zordon's way of cheering us on."

"Or calling us."

"It gives me goose bumps," Kimberly said, clinging to Tommy's jacket.

"Yeah, I know. Me too," he answered back, putting a hand around Kimberly's waist.

Ethan, Kira, and Trent snickered and nudged each other.

"Look at the two of them," Kira said, in a whisper, laughing softly.

"Yeah, I know. Cool, huh? They're actually cute."

"What if they got back together?"

"They just might."

"In no time."

Tommy and Kimberly turned to look at the three.

"Are you guys talking about us?"

"No," Trent fibbed, "Why would we?"

Kira suppressed a smile, while Ethan whistled to the tune of _Something There_, from the Disney classic Beauty & the Beast.

The pilot announced that they were about to take off, and told them to fasten their seatbelts. This was going to be a long ride.

It was silent, once again, and Kimberly had the chance to think about a lot of stuff, regarding hers and Tommy's past relationship.


	5. The Past

There were other things Kimberly was worried about. As the plane took off, Tommy had called every Ranger he had ever known. And that included Trini—Kimberly's old friend. Would it suffice to say that she was an old friend of Kimberly's? No, she was a former friend. She dreaded ever seeing her again. It had been years since they last saw each other. They had a falling out, fifteen years ago. Trini had just come home from the peace conference with Jason and Zack. Trini's return was a shock to her. Trini wanted to surprise Kimberly, so she never told her.

Of course, they were young and stupid at that time. After their breakup, and after Kimberly's pregnancy, Jack Hunter came crawling back to her. Fool that she was, she took him back in. Never did she know that he had a deep, dark secret—until the day Trini came back from Geneva. Yes, loving Jack Hunter was a mistake.

_Flashback_

_Florida, 1993_

_Kimberly Hart was in the bathroom, enjoying a nice, long, hot shower after her routine. She had returned to the gymnastics team. She heard the door softly creaking._

"_Jack?" she called._

_No response._

_Jack Hunter had entered the bathroom. He dumped all his clothes on the floor, and grabbed an extra towel. Parting the curtain, he stepped into the shower. Kimberly squealed. _

"_Jack Hunter! What are you doing in here?" she said, with a scolding look, arms akimbo. But she made no attempt to move. She was rooted to her spot._

"_I thought I might join you. Here, let me wash your back," he offered, as he took the soap from Kimberly's open hand. _

_He proceeded to lather her back. Smoothly. Slowly. Seductively. It sent shivers down her spine. She moaned._

"_Mmm... Oh! What are you doing to me, Jack Hunter? Oh!"_

_His cock stood erect, and it brushed the crack of Kimberly's ass. She gave out a cry. Next, Jack proceeded to reach in front, to soap her breasts. Then, he leaned down to kiss the side of her neck, while massaging. His thumb was playing with Kimberly's mounds._

"_Oh, Jack!" Kimberly cried._

_Meanwhile, the door to Kimberly's dormitory opened. Nice place, the petite Vietnamese girl thought to herself, as she studied the furnishings around the room she was in._

"_Wow. Fully furnished. I thought Kimberly's dorm room would just be a room with two beds. This is great! It's got a dining room and a kitchen, and a living room. I wonder where Kim is."_

_She searched the whole dorm room, looking for her._

_While Jack Hunter's right hand was massaging Kimberly's breasts, his left was toying with her pussy. She gasped with delight. He turned her around, so that she was now facing him. Then, he leaned in to kiss her, as they stood under the spray, as the water cascaded down their bodies, carrying away the rest of the suds. Jack's kisses were hot, and hers was equal to his. He leaned in to kiss her neck, and he pinned her against the shower wall. Kimberly was moaning wildly, as she surrendered her breast to his kisses._

_Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice. It was familiar to Kimberly. Also, it was familiar to Jack._

"_Shh!" Kimberly said, shushing him, "That's Trini. She's my best friend."_

_Trini came into the bathroom, and shock showed in her eyes, as she saw clothes lying on the floor._

"_Wait a sec! These are guy clothes. Kimberly doesn't wear guy clothes. Unless she's," Trini thought to herself, smiling._

_Then, she picked them up. There was lipstick on the shirt collar. She smiled, amazed at how quickly she had moved on. She smelled it. She recognized the scent._

"_Jack?" she said softly, thinking to herself, "Can these be Jack's? Kim? Kimberly?"_

_The curtains parted slightly, and Kimberly showed her face._

"_Trini! Oh, my gosh! I didn't expect to see you here. Just wait a sec. I'm taking a shower. I'll be right with you."_

_Trini showed her the clothes in her hands._

"_Taking a shower with whom?" _

"_What? What's that supposed to mean?"_

"_Oh, come on! Don't play dumb with me, Kim! Whose clothes are these?"_

"_I'll explain later, okay? I'll be right with you."_

"_I demand an explanation, now, Kimberly!" she replied, hotly, as she parted the shower curtain more. Shock was written all over her face. And on Jack's, as well._

"_Jack? What's the meaning of this?"_

"_I, uh," he stammered._

_Kimberly turned the water off, and looked up at him._

"_You know her? You _know_ her?"_

"_Let me explain!"_

"_Explain this!" Kimberly said, as she slapped him._

_Trini was now fuming. She'd been controlling her emotions well, but now, she was about to explode._

_Slap! Trini's palm landed on Kimberly's cheek, making her face redden all the more._

"_How dare you? I came... over here... to look for a long-time friend! And now, I find a traitor? You snake!"_

"_Trini, I—I didn't know! I had no idea! I'm sorry."_

"_I'm afraid 'sorry' isn't gonna cut it!" Trini shot back. Then, she glared at Jack._

"_Get out!" Kimberly said, crying, pounding his chest, "Out!" _

_Jack Hunter got out of the shower, put his clothes back on, hurriedly, and left without a word._

"_Now, I know the truth, Kim! You're a heartbreaker! Not only that—you're also a cheater, and a stealer! You broke up with Tommy so you could be with Jack? How low could you sink, Kim?"_

_Kimberly slapped Trini for the first time in her life._

"_You cheated on Tommy with _my_ boyfriend! And now, you have the audacity to slap me? Damn it! You weren't content with breaking Tommy's heart, so now, you steal my boyfriend? Of all people, I'm the one who has every right to slap you, not the other way around!"_

"_Damn you, Trini!" Kimberly shouted, surprised that she had used a cuss word for her friend._

"_Well, damn you too, bitch!"_

"_Look, Trini, that's not the whole story! That's not even the real story, okay? Jack had a lot of charisma, he had a lot of charm, he had sex appeal! And I fell for him! He never mentioned you to me! I didn't steal him from you—he stole me from Tommy! He seemed like a gentleman! I never expected to fall in love with him that fast!"_

_That day, Trini walking out of Kimberly's dorm was as much a metaphor as it was an actual event. To her, it symbolized Trini walking out of her life, never to return again._

_She had lost two of the most important people in her life. First, it was Tommy. Now, her former best friend, Trini. She couldn't help but cry, as she realized how much of a fool she had been. She told herself that if only she could change things, someday—if given the chance to do so—she definitely would._

_End of flashback._

Tommy noticed Kimberly's tears, but he wasn't ready to talk, just yet. He thought he did.

_Damn it, Tommy! I thought you wanted to know the truth?_ he said to himself, as he debated on whether to talk her or not.

"Hey. You okay, Kim?" he finally asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, dabbing her eyes with Kleenex from her purse.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, and went to the lavatory.

_Oh, great! Now what? I want to talk to her, and she doesn't want to?_


	6. Reunion

On the plane ride to CERN, Tommy was having his own dilemma. He couldn't understand what he was going through. _Should I talk to her?_ he thought. He wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to know the truth. But now, he was afraid of it—afraid it might hurt, like the letter did.

He thought that after all these years, he would heal. He told that to himself. But he was wrong. Their meeting had reopened an old wound, at it still felt fresh. He felt the way he did the day he received the letter. It was as if his world was crashing in on him, once more. Was it his pride? Was it the thought of finding out that Kimberly didn't love him anymore?

He played the tape recorder he held in his hand, while Kim was in the lavatory—crying, perhaps.

"_Conner, I don't know if you could hear me. But... I just want to tell you this. I'm sorry. For everything. Forgive me, Conner. At first, I tried to abort you._

"_Then, I realized I couldn't do it. So, I gave birth to you—_my_ Conner. But I couldn't keep you. What could I do? I had to give you up. I don't know if you would find it in your heart to forgive me. But I hope and pray that someday, you would learn to love me—to call me mom. I know I don't deserve being called mom, by you. But if I could change things, I would've kept you. I know that being young and stupid isn't much of an excuse. It's not even an excuse. I can only hope and pray that you would forgive me and learn to love me, someday. I also wish for your father to forgive me. I loved your father. I still do."_

He rewound the tape a couple of times. Then, he rewound that last part.

"_I also wish for your father to forgive me. I loved your father. I still do."_

He hit rewind, again. And again. And again. And again. Could it be? Was he really Conner's father? Or had Kimberly been lying? Was it a cover up? Could Jack Hunter be Conner's father? 

No, Kimberly had said that she wanted Conner's father to forgive her. She loved his father. She still does.

Was that him Kimberly was talking about? Or was it that jerk? No, he wouldn't concede. He decided it wasn't him. But then, a part of him kept on insisting he believe Kimberly. He hated himself for his indecision. Maybe he was hurting too much to think straight. He wasn't the kind of person who let go that easily. Everyone had witnessed that when Kimberly had broken up with him. He may have been happy with Billy and Katherine, skiing on the slopes, but weeks later, he showed his depression when he was alone with Adam and Rocky.

The same could be said regarding his and Katherine's breakup. She was in London, he was in Angel Grove. She was concentrating on her career; he was concentrating on his studies. That phone call was devastating to him—as devastating as the letter. He drank. He didn't show up on campus for weeks. He took out his frustration on his professors.

Years went by, and he met Hayley. They went out for years, but Tommy had discovered that she had been sleeping with his dad, James Oliver. That too was devastating. He didn't let go—or at least it took him awhile to do so.

Maybe that was it. He was afraid of being hurt again. He had been hurt so many times before, by the very same people he had loved. He had been lied to so many times before. Maybe this was just a ruse. Something to get him to come back to Kimberly. Perhaps she was lying to him again. He had heard the story of Trini and Kimberly's falling out from Jason. He couldn't believe Kimberly would do such a thing. He was shocked, along with the whole gang, when they had heard the account.

_Flashback_

_1993_

_Angel Grove Recreational Park_

_4:00pm_

"_This place... So many memories," Jason sighed, as he took a walk in the park with the rest of the gang. Rocky put a hand on his shoulder._

"_Hey. You okay, man?"_

_Jason said nothing. He just shook his head. He kept his head down, thrust his hands into his pockets, and walked with slouched shoulders._

"_Still depressed over the turnover of the Gold Ranger powers?" Tommy suggested._

"_No, man," Jason sighed, "That's not it."_

"_Then, what is?"Katherine offered._

"_It's just that... Never mind."_

"_Come on, man. You can tell us. We're friends," Adam put in._

"_This place... So many memories," Jason said, with a smirk, "I remember when were playing tag, here, and I squashed Zack's poor hamster."_

"_That's it? A trip down memory lane."_

"_Trini's been blackmailing me about it, ever since."_

"_And you're worried she would tell Zack?" Tommy said._

"_No," Jason answered, with a bitter smile, "I'm just worried about what's going on with our friendship."_

"_Whatever do you mean?" Katherine asked._

"_Me, Zack, Kimberly, Trini, and Billy. We were the best of friends. We all grew up together. Now, everything's breaking apart."_

"_You guys—including us—are still friends. There's nothing to worry about. Zack may be in Texas, Kimberly may be in Florida, Billy may be on some distant planet, and Trini may be back in Vietnam, but it doesn't mean you guys are no longer friends," Tommy said._

"_Look, Tommy, it's not as easy as that! It's not what you think, alright? Trini went back to Vietnam, because of Kimberly! They had a falling out, a few months ago!"_

_A hush fell over the gang, and everyone was silent._

"_What!" Tommy said, shocked._

"_Kimberly stole Trini's boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend, as is the case, now."_

"_What! I can't believe she did that!"_

"_Did you check your sources?" Adam asked, confused. He was lost._

"_Yes, and the last time I checked, my source was Trini herself!"_

"_Wait, wait! What happened? I don't get it."_

"_Trini said she was visiting Kimberly after she came home from Geneva. When she got to Florida, she asked around for her. Kimberly's roommates, Cindy and Susan pointed out the dorm to her. She entered, looked around, and found Kimberly in the shower with her boyfriend."_

_Tommy's face was reddening. His fists were clenched, and so were his jaws. In that moment, he felt as if he could kill a thousand men, just as Samson of long ago had done. But he contented himself with just the thought. He couldn't carry that out. Part of the code of a Ranger was to not use the Power for personal gain. So Tommy was content to just think about it, and keep it to himself. Besides, Kimberly might get hurt in the process, were he to do anything drastic. He still loved her, it seemed, and he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt, whether physically or emotionally. He felt the heat growing in his face. Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. He looked down, lest someone should notice. How could Kimberly do that? he thought. He shook his head._

_End of flashback._

The plane was now about to land. The pilot announced the landing. They would be landing in 30 minutes. Tommy unbuckled his seatbelt for a while, to wake his three sleeping students. They had slept soundly, during the whole flight.

"No wonder it was so quiet," he said to himself.

"Are they always noisy?" Kimberly asked.

"Sometimes they are. You just have to get used to them."

"Teenagers. We were just like them, once."

"Yeah, once," Tommy said, smirking, "A long time ago."

In Switzerland, Billy met the party at the airstrip. He hugged Tommy and Kimberly.

"So, how was your flight?" Billy asked, with a smile.

Tommy glanced down at his watch. Billy laughed out loud.

"What!"

"You've gone through four time zones, my friend," Billy said, showing him the correct time.

Tommy readjusted his.

"By the way, I'd like to introduce you to my students. They're Rangers too. This is Kira, Ethan, and Trent."

All three shook hands with Billy.

"I thought you said you had four students who were Rangers. Where's the other one?"

"He met an accident, before you called. He's in ICU."

Billy winced.

"Ooh. Sorry to hear that. Well, come along then, and we'll brief you on the situation with Zedd and Company."

They all rode in the van, accompanied by military escort. Billy sat in the front seat. Trent had to be moved to another vehicle, as the van could accommodate only seven people—six passengers, plus the driver.

Billy turned in his seat, and looked into the back.

"By the way," he said, smiling, "We have a friend whom you haven't seen in years. She'd be happy to see you."

"Please, Billy," Kimberly said, looking down, "I wish you wouldn't."

"But she's expec—" Kimberly cut him off, raising a warning finger.

"Alright, suit yourself," he said, feigning exasperation.

At CERN, they all got down, with their escorts taking their belongings. As they entered the entrance to the main building, a petite Asian woman waved at them with a big smile on her face. Tommy and Kimberly recognized her. She hadn't changed a bit, since they last saw her. She was still wearing yellow.

_Old habits are hard to break_, Tommy thought, a smile creeping across his face.

"Kimberly! Kimberly!" Trini shouted, excitedly, waving like crazy. Kimberly dropped her carry-on, and ran towards her old friend.

Trini enveloped her in a bear hug.

"I've missed you, Kimmie," Trini said, choking.

"I've missed you too, Tri," she replied, trying her best not to cry.

But they cried. They couldn't help it. Tommy smiled at the thought. He was envious of Trini. How could she forgive? He wished he had more of Trini's forgiving spirit, and less of his own pride. He envied Trini. _If Trini could forgive Kimberly, then why couldn't I?_ It was one of the questions he was trying to answer. He had none. But he was willing to find the answer.

"Come on. The others are waiting. We have a lot to discuss. Later, after we have discussed the matter at hand, then and only then can we catch up on each other. I know we have a lot of catching up to do, but business takes precedence over personal affairs."

Tommy, Trini, and Kimberly smirked.

"Billy hasn't changed a bit," all three said, simultaneously, and laughed.

It was a reunion. There were Rangers they knew, there Rangers they didn't. Jason hugged Tommy, the moment he saw him.

"Bro! How've you been?"

"Okay, I guess."

They all hugged. Adam was there. Zack. Rocky. Aisha. Katherine. A good friend of Tommy's, Andros. They were many more. They all sat in one of the conference rooms, in front of a panel of directors. They got down to business.


End file.
